Macro partitioning
A whole-foods, plant-based (WFPB) dietary intervention significantly improves BMI, systolic blood pressure, total cholesterol, and LDL levels in patients with metabolic disease in underserved communities.
Adopt a whole-foods, plant-based diet through a structured program involving weekly group visits and cooking demos. Focus on high-fiber, low-fat plant foods without eliminating any food categories entirely. Aim for 90-95% of calories from plants, moving at your own pace. This approach has been shown to significantly lower BMI, blood pressure, and cholesterol in underserved populations, even when meals cost less than $3 per serving.
Significant decreases were found for body mass index (BMI; −0.66 [−0.91 to −0.40] kg/m2), systolic blood pressure (−12 [−19 to −5] mm Hg), total cholesterol (−20 [−29 to −10] mg/dL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL; −11.6 [−17.5 to −5.5] mg/dL)... all Ps < .01
Why this rating
Retrospective chart review with a small sample size (n=31) and lack of a control group limits causal inference, though statistical significance is reported.
Source
Impact of a Whole-Foods, Plant-Based Nutrition Intervention on Patients Living with Chronic Disease in an Underserved Community
Shipra Bansal et al. · American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine · 2021
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